What it’s like when you meet or see a new Guzzi rider…

[willowstreetguzziguy]

A few years ago I was riding my 1200 Sport Moto Guzzi on a long straightaway near Pine Grove, Pennsylvania. I must have been doing about 60 mph when another motorcyclist passed in the opposite direction and I think to myself, that was a Stelvio!

About a minute later, I look in my rear view mirror, and I see these dual headlights quickly closing the gap behind me. In no time it pulled alongside me and sure enough, it was a Stelvio. We pulled off the side of the road at a convenient location and conversed for about 15 minutes. I mentioned wildguzzi forum and he was a member. Imagine that happening with any other brand or motorcycle.

[blu guzz]

If I am headed in a direction and there is one in front of me, I will pull in with them at a gas stop if I am not pressed for time.  I have not turned around and chased anyone down however.  Since we have a dealer in our area, I see more of these then most people probably do who are not close to a dealer.

[Guzzidad]

   Not long after I moved to Florida I actually did turn around and chase down a Guzzi rider. I was on my way home from work and it was easy to recognize his Guzzi, a hot dog and mustard EV. That turned into a long lasting friendship. We did a lot of riding together and he showed me most of the best roads in Florida. That was 23 years ago and time marches on. He's no longer riding but we still keep in touch.

[TurcoLoco]

Another rider in the same building where I used to work over 10 years ago switching from a Honda VFR to a V7 Special (whichever model at the time came with multiple racing colors).
He was a cool guy and he really liked his bike. I loved the look of the bike but felt it would be a bit too small for my frame and weight. At the time I wasn't even a MG rider.
A few years later, at our mc hangout (local Starbucks), I saw a Stelvio to came to a full stop at the red light right in front of me so I exchanged a few lines with the guy.
I loved the way the Stelvio looked. I liked the Norge's looks too but Stelvio seemed more my style. I still had no experience with an MG bike yet.
Fast forward several years, first month of 2019 and I was in the process of replacing my recently sold DL1000 with something similar but from another brand. I saw the ads of bunch of different Moto Guzzi models at 40% clearance prices by 2 different dealers.
About week later, I was down at the San Diego Moto Guzzi Dealership picking up my 2017 Stelvio with only 4 miles on it. My test ride was the 75 minute ride from the dealership to home.
A few minor quirks and annoyances but overall, it has been a very pleasant 5 years with the Stelvio but oddly enough, have only seen a few MGs riding away at a distance, never actually ran into another rider to chat.
I am in Arizona now so probably even a lesser chance to find another MG rider but who knows?

[faffi]

I do not consider meeting another Guzzi as very special. It is, after all, just a motorcycle like any other, albeit less common. They are not exactly rare, either. My brother, ne of my sons, and I own Guzzis, and I know of several more just in this city counting about 140k soles. I will meet several Guzzis on the road every season, often several on a single day. There are roughly 190,000 registered motorcycles over 125cc in Norway, and about 1500 of them are Guzzis.

Since I am not a brand snob, I will chat to anyone riding a motorcycle if they are open to it, but I have never considered waving a rider down or follow them.

[sdcr]

A few years ago, when I still had my 1983 white Le Mans III, I stopped at Van Sant airport after a Sunday ride. Very surprised to see another white Le Mans III, parked among the 50 or so other machines. In all the decades that I had mine, never saw another white one. So, I hung around, looking for the owner. After awhile, met the guy, and found out that bike was just a few towns over from my place.

[Shiny Hat]

To turn around and follow someone or wait for someone because they own the same brand bike is creepy. Well, creepy for any reason actually. But you do you.

[sdcr]

To turn around and follow someone or wait for someone because they own the same brand bike is creepy. Well, creepy for any reason actually. But you do you.

Thanks for adding your opinion to this thread.

[Shiny Hat]

Thanks for adding your opinion to this thread.

No problem, that’s what forums are, opinions with an occasional fact.
I agree with faffi’s opinion.

[Moparnut72]

One of my reasons for being here is very similar to others. I was at a motorcycle dealer searching for saddlebags. When I went back outside there was a Moto Guzzi in the parking lot. It was an Indian dealer so an unusual bike in that location. I hadn't seen MG in years and in that I came close to buying one decades prior I was interested so I hung around until the owner came out. He must have thought it strange when the first words out of my mouth were "where did you get that bike?" He gave me a strange look until I explained myself. It turned out there was a dealer in a remote location in town, Reno. The rest is history after a couple of false starts.
kk

[tazio]

Met this gentleman (a very swift rider!) on the Cherohala in N.C.
It's been the only time I'd even seen another Rosso Trophy GRiSO in the 8 years I've had mine.
GREAT conversation
  We talked about our beautiful oil coolers and stock mufflers 



 

[Dave Swanson]

It's an uncommon pleasure to see another Guzzi on the road.  If it works out that you can meet a fellow Guzzi rider an instant bond is almost always formed.  This phenomenon adds to the Guzzi mystique and is one of the very best things about Guzzi ownership and not experienced to any large degree with other marquees.  Certainly not creepy. 

 

[sdcr]

It's an uncommon pleasure to see another Guzzi on the road.  If it works out that you can meet a fellow Guzzi rider an instant bond is almost always formed.  This phenomenon adds to the Guzzi mystique and is one of the very best things about Guzzi ownership and not experienced to any large degree with other marquees.  Certainly not creepy.

Well stated.
Some of us “get it”, some don't.

[michaell32]

I only heard of Moto Guzzi a year ago when I bought mine and I have yet to randomly see one.  The only other Guzzis I have seen here in Utah is on the annual meet and that was a great ride.

[Moparnut72]

Three years ago I and two other guys were riding our Guzzis on the way to the Broken Arrow rally. We stopped in Salmon Id for fuel. A guy came riding in on a Cali and about fell over. He said he was doing a four corners ride and had started in  Virginia and hadn't seen another Guzzi since leaving. Now I pull into this station and here are three of them. We explained that there was a rally just up the road. We all had a nice lunch together then we had another stop but he went on to the rally to visit a bit.
kk

[kingoffleece]

A few of us here in AZ.

[Shiny Hat]

Well stated.
Some of us “get it”, some don't.

Seeing a rider at a gas station, dealer, etc. and walking over to say hi and chat is perfectly fine.
If someone were to turn around to run down a rider or wait in a parking lot and my wife or daughter were riding the bike they were chasing or stalking I would be having the conversation that person desired but not in the way they would think. Chasing someone down or waiting in a parking lot is creepy, no matter what “us” think, my opinion.
Rather than chase them or stalk, post on the site when and where you saw them and go from there.
Set up a lunch, meet and greet, whatever, in your area.

[Enzo Toma]

Another rider on a Guzzi wouldn't be reason enough for me to turn back, unless it was someone I knew. I do stop and chat with stopped riders though, especially when it's unique to see one (winter riding).

[Huzo]

Too many trigger happy people around here.

Now was that a can of worms that just got opened ?

[Huzo]

Seeing a rider at a gas station, dealer, etc. and walking over to say hi and chat is perfectly fine.
If someone were to turn around to run down a rider or wait in a parking lot and my wife or daughter were riding the bike they were chasing or stalking I would be having the conversation that person desired but not in the way they would think. Chasing someone down or waiting in a parking lot is creepy, no matter what “us” think, my opinion.
Rather than chase them or stalk, post on the site when and where you saw them and go from there.
Set up a lunch, meet and greet, whatever, in your area.

Jeeez Shiny.
For heaven’s sake lighten up, is it your province to determine who may or may not speak to your wife or daughter ?
 Are you implying that anyone who feels drawn to say hello under those circumstances is either a rock spider or is making an attempt to crack on to your missus ? Some bloke just wants to say hi and you suggest they what…
“Set up a meeting…?”
Would there be a dress code for such a formal occasion or smart casual ?
You wouldn’t last five minutes at an Aussie barbecue…
Dave Swanson and sdcr were right…(Again).

[blu guzz]

We all have our own individual comfort zones.  Maybe my area of the country is just friendly, but if I am filling up and another rider is doing the same, doesn't matter the brand, we usually greet each other.  I usually get many more questions about my Guzzi than I ask about theirs.  Remember, no matter how many bikes are on the road of any brand but especially our Guzzis, it is always a tiny percentage compared to the cages out there so that predisposes us with few exceptions to be friendly to each other.  Every Guzzi rider I have greeted without exception has been happy to talk about the brand and their bikes and I always ask if they are on this site.  As for "trigger happy", that term can be applied to anything as well as firearms. 

[Shiny Hat]

Jeeez Shiny.
For heaven’s sake lighten up, is it your province to determine who may or may not speak to your wife or daughter ?
 Are you implying that anyone who feels drawn to say hello under those circumstances is either a rock spider or is making an attempt to crack on to your missus ? Some bloke just wants to say hi and you suggest they what…
“Set up a meeting…?”
Would there be a dress code for such a formal occasion or smart casual ?
You wouldn’t last five minutes at an Aussie barbecue…
Dave Swanson and sdcr were right…(Again).

No, that’s cool, some guys wives like meeting strange men in parking lots. Hey if that’s your thing who am I to judge.
ATGATT I would hope.

[MerleLowe]

We all have our own individual comfort zones.  Maybe my area of the country is just friendly, but if I am filling up and another rider is doing the same, doesn't matter the brand, we usually greet each other.  I usually get many more questions about my Guzzi than I ask about theirs.  Remember, no matter how many bikes are on the road of any brand but especially our Guzzis, it is always a tiny percentage compared to the cages out there so that predisposes us with few exceptions to be friendly to each other.  Every Guzzi rider I have greeted without exception has been happy to talk about the brand and their bikes and I always ask if they are on this site.  As for "trigger happy", that term can be applied to anything as well as firearms.

I grew up near Baltimore then moved to Georgia.  Big difference socially.  Here, it's not unusual for a stranger to just start chatting as if they've known you for years.  Try that in the northeast.  Being followed would be a bit odd and I'd keep an eye on them but wouldn't be terribly surprised.  Motorcyclists like motorcycles after all.

[Huzo]

No, that’s cool, some guys wives like meeting strange men in parking lots. Hey if that’s your thing who am I to judge.
ATGATT I would hope.

Yep some guy’s wives do.
It’s usually the husband that’s the last to know…

[faffi]

A few years ago, when I still had my 1983 white Le Mans III, I stopped at Van Sant airport after a Sunday ride. Very surprised to see another white Le Mans III, parked among the 50 or so other machines. In all the decades that I had mine, never saw another white one. So, I hung around, looking for the owner. After awhile, met the guy, and found out that bike was just a few towns over from my place.

That is kinda cool

Many moons ago, my mother had a Renault 19 in silver. The car itself was not very common, and the color was unusual at the time. In fact, I had never seen another just like mom's. One day, I borrowed mom's car and ended up parked next to an identical Renault 19. Had to take a picture, long since lost.

[Shiny Hat]

Yep some guy’s wives do.
It’s usually the guy that’s the last to know…

True, and you convinced me. I’m going to grab something to eat and take a drive to the local movie theater. Find a car like mine and wait outside for them so I can strike up a conversation, perfectly normal, might even grab a six pack. Nothing creepy about it and I don’t know why I never thought of this before, thanks.

[Huzo]

True, and you convinced me. I’m going to grab something to eat and take a drive to the local movie theater. Find a car like mine and wait outside for them so I can strike up a conversation, perfectly normal, might even grab a six pack. Nothing creepy about it and I don’t know why I never thought of this before, thanks.

If you’re going to a “theatre”, don’t forget your candy and raincoat.
Ok.
What’s happening here is that each person’s perspective is being exaggerated to the point of ridiculousness to try to drive home the point. The thread is supposed to be about how you feel when you meet another Guzzi rider, whether the meeting was pure chance or engineered, if the motive is pure, then there can be no harm.
If anyone feels so threatened that they are uncomfortable with someone making an effort to meet them, then they’d be better off in a Toyota Prius and wearing a beige cardigan with the Wall Street journal folded on the passenger seat.

[MerleLowe]

Was pulling into the office complex one day with a 246GT in front of me.  Owner didn't seem surprised when I stopped next to him to look.

Gotta stop for a Dino, right?

[Ncdan]

Goes to show even a “motorcycle related”thread can get wacky if lead that way?
Let’s keep this thread fun and interesting and not controversial by picking it to the bones.
Thanks guys👍

Dan

[Shiny Hat]

If you’re going to a “theatre”, don’t forget your candy and raincoat.
Ok.
What’s happening here is that each person’s perspective is being exaggerated to the point of ridiculousness to try to drive home the point. The thread is supposed to be about how you feel when you meet another Guzzi rider, whether the meeting was pure chance or engineered, if the motive is pure, then there can be no harm.
If anyone feels so threatened that they are uncomfortable with someone making an effort to meet them, then they’d be better off in a Toyota Prius and wearing a beige cardigan with the Wall Street journal folded on the passenger seat.

Great, now I have to stop for candy (I have a raincoat) so much to learn.
I have to run, the movie will let out soon. My wife owns a PHEV, not a Prius though, it’s a start.
Yes, I get the context of fellow MG enthusiast’s just thought the chasing down and stalking was a bit much.